Gunmen Strike again in Plateau, Attack Mourners during Mass Burial

. Suspected bandits kill 1, injures 2 others in Kogi

Yemi Kosoko in Jos Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

A fresh wave of violence has rocked Plateau State as gunmen launched an attack on mourners during a mass burial in Nding Sesut community, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state, compounding the grief of residents already reeling from earlier killings.

The mourners had gathered yesterday to bury six victims of five members of the same family and another resident killed in a late-night assault last Tuesday.

According to community sources, the attackers stormed the burial ground and opened fire sporadically, sending people fleeing in panic.

The latest incident follows a string of deadly attacks in the area. On Tuesday night, gunmen invaded Nding community around 9 p.m., killing an entire family of five and one other resident. A community member, Weng Christopher, described the situation as “alarming,” lamenting that residents now live in constant fear.

The Berom Youth Moulders Association, through its Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, confirmed both the killings and the attempted attack on Rim community in neighbouring Riyom LGA. Tengwong said the Rim attack was repelled by local vigilantes and personnel of Operation Rainbow, the state-owned security outfit. 

He condemned the repeated assaults and urged security agencies to intensify efforts to protect vulnerable communities.

In an official statement, the Plateau State Police Command confirmed the Tuesday night attack on Nding Susut, reporting that five people, comprising four women and a nine-year-old boy, were killed while three others sustained injuries. The victims are receiving treatment at the General Hospital, where the bodies of the deceased have also been deposited.

The state Commissioner of Police, Bassey Ewah, condemned the killings as “senseless” and announced the deployment of additional tactical teams, including mobile police units, to restore calm in Barkin Ladi.

He assured residents that investigations are underway and that the Command is working with other security agencies and community leaders to track down the perpetrators.

The Police Command urged the public to remain calm and cooperate with security operatives by providing credible information that could aid ongoing investigations.

As communities in Barkin Ladi and Riyom grapple with repeated attacks, calls for stronger security interventions have continued to grow, with residents pleading for lasting peace in Plateau State.

Meanwhile, suspected gunmen have launched a fresh attack on two communities in Kogi State, killing one resident and inflicting varying degrees of injury on two others.

The bandits were said to have invaded the affected communities of Edede and Ojapata, both in Oganenigu, Dekina Local Government Area of the state.

The gunmen, who stormed the communities at about 3:30 p.m. last Tuesday, shot dead one Nasiru Ulayi and also razed several residential houses in Ojapata and Edede, rendering many homeless and forcing them into displaced camps.

In a similar attack, gunmen ambushed two members of the local vigilante in Onitcha-Igo in Ofu LGA of the state. The vigilante members who were on routine patrol unconsciously walked into the ambush, and the gunmen opened fire on both of them.

The members of the vigilance group were said to have escaped the rains of bullets, but were fatally wounded during the attack.

It was gathered that the vigilante men were rushed to the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH) Lokoja for urgent medical attention.

One of the victims was said to be currently undergoing surgery as the medical personnel battle totreat aa bone fracture.

Eye witness said there are growing activities of kidnappers in the affected communities, adding: “The kidnappers in these local communities are brazen and determined to flourish in their trade, not minding the presence of security.”

When contacted for confirmation, the Kogi State Police Command was not available to confirm the incident, as efforts to speak with the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Afusat Oyiza Saliu, on the phone were not going through because of the bad network.